Just when holidaymakers hoping to fly off on holiday from London Gatwick airport were adjusting to the cull of flights by easyJet, a leading union is warning of “severe delays, disruption and cancellations” ahead of two long weekends of strikes at the Sussex hub.
Members of Unite working for four ground-handling firms will walk out over two key weekends at the summer peak for the UK’s second-busiest airport. The union says the staff – who run check in, baggage handling and aircraft dispatch – are paid “a pittance”.
The ground-handling companies involved are ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services Ltd.
The first strike is from Friday 28 July to Tuesday 1 August, with a repeat a week later: Friday 4 August until Tuesday 8 August.
A Gatwick spokesperson said although the airport did not employ the staff directly, it would work with the ground handles to ensure “as many flights as possible operate as scheduled”.
But with memories of the chaos of summer 2022, when ground-handling shortcomings caused massive disruption across the UK’s airports, passengers are understandably concerned.
These are the key questions and answers.
Who exactly is going on strike?
Ground handling staff working for four ground-handling companies at Gatwick airport. They are:
- ASC, handling Tui
- DHL Services Ltd, handling easyJet
- GGS, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways, handling BA and its sister Spanish airline, Vueling
- Menzies Aviation, handling Wizz Air
Why are they going on strike?
The union says most staff are paid under £12 per hour (the current national minimum wage for an adult is £10.42). The staff, says Unite, have “highly demanding and safety critical roles”. It has been talking to the four companies since January “but they all have failed to make offers that meets the workers’ expectations”.
The union’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, said she is “committed to eradicating the scourge of low pay at the airport”.
Unite’s regional officer Dominic Rothwell said: “This dispute is entirely of the companies’ own making. They have had every opportunity to make our members’ a fair pay offer but have chosen not to do so.”
What is the likely impact?
The walk-outs are planned for days when Gatwick is at full stretch. It is the busiest single-runway airport in the world, and any disruption can rapidly escalate.
During the…
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